Top: File photo taken in 1962 by Dong Ronggui shows farmers harvesting safflowers in Yongji, north China's Shanxi Province. Bottom: Photo taken on April 10, 2019 by Cao Yang shows villagers picking forsythia leaves in Hougou Village in Pingding County of Shanxi. As people's living standard enhances, people now attach greater importance to health, which boosts the development of traditional Chinese medical herb plantation. In Pingding, the planting of forsythia leaves has been promoted under the mode of cooperatives to help local villagers increase their income. In 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Chinese people faced a devastated country that needed to be rebuilt from scratch after decades of warfare and chaos. After decades of unremitting endeavors and dedication by the Chinese people, China has grown to be the world's second largest economy. In 1952, China's GDP was 30 billion U.S. dollars, while in 2018, its GDP reached 13.61 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 452.6 times. A group of combo photos give you a glimpse of what Chinese people did decades ago and what they do right now. Undoubtedly, people from all walks of life in China with hard work and wisdom have made contributions to the country's development. (Xinhua)
